Corona Devo 187

What does it mean to "do" Bible study?  

Does it mean that we need to have a Bible, a dictionary, a Hebrew-translation book, a history book highlighting ancient Biblical peoples and locations, highlighters, pens and a gold-embossed writing journal in front of us?  

Does "studying the Bible" conjure up complicated and elaborate prep and knowledge...and time that most of us are not prepared for?  And dare I mention: that on many days, many of us are not even interested in?

Wait a second!

That is actually not at all a true definition of "Bible study", if you ask me.  We need a Bible.  Anything else is optional.  (I also require coffee.)  We don't have to write anything down, we can just read some verses and think.  Apply them to our lives and current life situations.  Read the verses again, and think about them again.  This is studying the Bible.

I like to write, so a journal is helpful to me, to jot down the verses that are "speaking to me", and then my thoughts about how they relate to my life.  But each person's time in the Bible can look different, and you can do whatever you like.  

The main thing is to start reading the Bible.  It will change your life, if you let it.  (And our lives are more blessed when we do.  Plus, we are more of a blessing to others when we let God work in us and through us.)  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~Romans 12:1-2 

When reading these verses, I think about eating better, and starting to work out, because those are healthier ways to live and to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.  

Do not conform to the pattern of this world:  There are SO MANY ways that the world wants us to conform to it's pattern, instead of being cut out in the pattern of Jesus and how He lived and treated others.  

And I am inspired and excited and have felt-it-happen once in a while when reading the Bible that I have been transformed by the renewing of your mind.  The Lord literally gives us a fresh perspective, or a new option, and our mind is "renewed" by God "transforming" it.  It sounds wild, but it happens when we sacrifice some time for the Lord and He meets with us.

Those are a few things that I might journal when "doing Bible study" with these verses.  If I spent more time on them, I think God could go deeper with me, but He teaches me these things when I first sit-down with him and Romans 12:1-2.

The reason I asked earlier about what we imagine as "necessary" supplies when doing Bible study, was because we all tend to overthink what "Bible study" is.  We think we have to be prepared, or be Bible-smart, or be older and wiser.  

But that is simply not true.  God just asks us to be quiet and sit with Him.  Then He will explain what the verse mean as applicable to us.

We have 3 kids and 2 of them have birthdays in October.  Somehow, the tradition of hanging an elaborate (and wishful/often non-reality-based) birthday list in our kitchen has become important to the kids.  Recently, the 2 October siblings have been fighting alot about the (non-existent) "rules" of posting birthday lists.  (I.e. Only the next birthday person's list can be hung, and ONLY after that birthday, can the next October birthday list can be hung.)  There have also been arguments about each person having a "fair amount of time" with their list hung up.  

In short, it has become ridiculous.  And this morning there were actual tears as the kids disagreed about it once again.  I did what any good Mom would do (LOL): Demanded silence, and sent them to their rooms to read the Bible and give me a page report about what God said to them.  (I needed a break from it all!)  

One party has still not even turned in their assignment.  But the other party returned in about 10 minutes with the following response, and it proved to me once again, that no matter your age (she is 9), or your "Biblical knowledge", God can talk to any of us through His word.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~Romans 12:1-2 

"God picked the word 'sacrifice' for me.  God 'sacrificed' His life for us!  I will sacrifice having my birthday list up so my brother can be happy!  Sacrificing can be like a secret mission, always being on the look-out for something you could do or give up for someone else.  God calls us to do it, so let's be on the look-out for how we can sacrifice for Him!" ~Naomi, age 9.

After she gave me her paper, she went (whistling) into the kitchen and took her birthday list down.  God had renewed her mind about it, through Bible study.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Corona Devo 1156

Image
At work, we provide Trainings for customers, so that they can be updated and educated on all of the latest features (and how to use them) within our product.  Many companies do this--sharing "Best Practices" are a way to ensure positive outcomes on the customer and vendor sides of things. My kids often offer me "life hacks" that they have learned from watching an online video promising to "save time" and "make your life easier".  And just this week, my husband enlightened me about the "tear-away" feature built into most plastic rings holding cans/bottles of pop or Gatorade together.  When separated, the plastic rips open easily, releasing the bottle--saving wildlife that might be caught if it is discarded as trash, and saving me  frustration or angst because I no longer have to pull with all my might to get a bottle out of the plastic rings.  ( Who knew? )  Life hacks do save time and make your life easier! Who couldn't benefit from...
Read more

Corona Devo 1217

Image
The unanswered “why’s” of life, the disorder of our days, and even the unfairness of our struggles can cause us to question ourselves and also to question our God. But the order-of-Creation and the systems that God has set in place are undeniable answers that swing back and forth like God’s pendulum-reminder that He set the world in motion, and He continues to keep order, even when it seems as if we and our world are in dis- order.   Job was a man going through some heavy and hard stuff.   Maybe we are too.   Job’s trials had caused him to question the order of life, and possibly God’s dominion over it.   We can relate.   The “Why’s?” and the “Why Me’s” can stack up in our minds and hearts, but like a parent exercising loving-authority over a child, God reminds Job and us--of His power, omniscience and of His ultimate authority over everything: Creation… and us today .   Then the  Lord  answered Job from the whirlwind: (2) “Who i...
Read more

Corona Devo 991

Running low on " good things " today?  Doesn't it (sometimes) seem like/trend like/read like/tweet like/water-cooler-chat or backyard-fence-visit like/intimidate like/depress like... there are no  good things in the land? . I know. It's no secret that many have abandoned  the Law of the  Lord,  and at times, that's us .   It is evident all around us that people have  followed each other  in this sin.  When we look around...or when we live our days...we can wonder: Are there  any  good things  left in the land? There are still some good things in the land ...and no matter how bleak we feel the "forecast" for today is...there will always  be  some good things in the land, because God is in the land.   T he Bible reminds us of that today.   ~~~ The Israelites (and their king, Rehoboam ) were God's people, but like all of us at times/seasons of our lives...they wandered from Lord and His ways....
Read more